Fallen Star is the sound of a band staking their claim as standard-bearers for British metal in 2025, pulling in allies from across the scene and delivering a record that feels punishing and purposeful. It’s overflowing with technical brilliance, emotional fire, and, above all, love for the genre itself. If you think modern metal lacks personality or invention, this album answers that complaint with a snarl and a smirk. This is not just one of the best metal records of the year, it’s a scene renewing itself from the inside. From the very first moments of opener Treachery, Casey McHale blasts through what feels like every foundational style of metal drumming in a single breathless flourish, and from that point forth, every second of this record is used to its fullest. There is no filler. It’s a record made by people who care, deeply, about what metal is and can be.

The sheer scale of this release cannot be overstated. From Casey’s jaw-dropping versatility behind the kit, switching from blastbeats to stuttering half-time grooves, to Justine’s razor-sharp vocal delivery, this is a band in peak condition. Huge, icy synth textures hover over many of these tracks like stormclouds, pushing the genre slightly sideways into industrial territory, while keeping the riffs front and centre, and Fallen Star manages to carry all of this weight without ever feeling indulgent. Despite the ambition on display, the whole project seems driven not by ego but by devotion to the scene. The guest appearances feel like genuine acts of solidarity. Will Ramos, Jessie Leach, Serena Cherry, these aren’t just flashy features brought in for clicks. Each is used with real intention, with the songs shaped around what makes those artists great, rather than forcing them into a template, and none of these moments distract from the core unit. If anything, they sharpen the focus on Justine and Sammy’s vocal chemistry, and the band’s capacity to absorb and reflect all corners of the genre without diluting their identity for a second.

There are few screamers as distinctive as Justine Jones right now. Not because of how extreme her voice is, though it absolutely is, but because there’s no monstrous affectation or theatrical distance, and it remains recognisably human. You can hear the real-life rage behind the betrayal she’s recounting. Her voice is a vessel for something real, and that’s what makes this record so moving. It’s not simply brutal or heavy or epic, but personal and defiant. The final tracks, especially From This Day Forward, move into territory that’s spiritually galvanising, the kind of metal that gives you back your spine while it tears your ears off.

When they lean into pure groove, like the impossibly dense, off-kilter outro of Brother, Stand Beside Me, they land with the weight of tectonic plates. No idea is overused, and every song has something unique to offer, and that’s what’s most satisfying about Fallen Star. It wants to give you what you want from metal: rage, catharsis, and riff after riff. It’s defiant, unflinching, and made with enormous heart. It’s hard not to see Fallen Star as a kind of rallying cry for a whole generation of bands who have been working tirelessly. This is what the new guard looks like: passionate, collaborative, wildly talented, and unafraid to sound absolutely massive. You can hear the love for metal all over this record in the breadth of styles embraced, and the risks taken. There are flourishes of industrial, echoes of deathcore, flickers of thrash, but none of it feels bolted on, and it’s all presented with such clarity and confidence that you’re reminded what heavy music can do when it’s made by people who are totally, fully committed to it. For the people on the fence, waiting for something to reignite their love of metal - this is it.